Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, NY, Training for Handling Dogs Non-Lethally

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, NY, Training for Handling Dogs Non-Lethally

by Eddie Cintron

I was filled with emotion knowing that what we fought so hard to achieve has materialize. I remember when I was waiting for Commander Phelps, I was thinking what I was going to tell him to convince him and the sheriff that this training was actually needed.

It would give officers a jump start on training for the field when they are just coming out of the academy.Stop The Shooting Logos (1)
The training took like 1 hour and 30 minutes; it was vital information to keep an officer safe when they approach a residence where they may have a dog on the property, where an officer can look for signs as they approach – assuring that a training – 8 hours long, and that the officers forget half of the information, whereas a lesser amount of vital information that would keep them safe, the dog safe, and the community safe would be more conducive.
Reno started the class with the video of Star, the pit bull that was protecting the homeless man that was having a medical bout in New York City and the cop shot the dog.

The dog had surgery on his eye and then rehabilitated and adopted out to a good home with his name changed to help with the family privacy. The dog to date is doing just fine.

Training covered posture signs and the one sign of a dangerous dog that would attack, along with bite inhibition – soft playful bite, which dogs use to play and interact.

Reno covered what officers can use before turning to lethal action from tools they have on them, like a baton used to prevent a bite, a bite stick, pepper spray – or citronella spray that would work better as they use them in bark collars, which really are not recommended to use them to stop a dog from barking; but anything that can be used non-lethally so they don’t have to shoot the dog.

NOTE: The dog at risk of lethal force being used on is an attack- or dangerous dog that is going to latch on to an officer or has already locked jaws on the officer. The stress is on preventing lethal force.

NOTE: Picture yourself walking your dog and another dog attacks you or your dog; what are you going to do? I already had that experience and came out fine without any of the dogs or myself being hurt; but I would have had to protect myself and my dog if the outcome was different.

So, we all know we will do what’s necessary to stop the attack and protect ourselves, and this is where our appropriate actions can keep us safe and our dogs safe.

Reno covered what to do and what not to do when coming into the presence of a dog. Simple things we all know: don’tMonroe County Sheriff's Office stare in their eyes; don’t show teeth like smiling cause it’s a threat; one can turn to the side making them less of a threat.
He showed a video in which an officer approaches a house with its door slightly opened, and a big trash can with wheels is seen near the house; the officer hears a dog in the distance and the barking gets louder, which gives the sign that a dog is getting closer; yet the officer ignores this sign. The dog comes out and attacks the officer, and the officer shoots the dog.

Reno asked the class what they noticed and what could have been done. One officer said that the officer in the video should have closed the door as soon as he heard the dog barking and the dog’s bark was getting louder. He then told Reno he could have used the trash bin on wheels to keep the dog at bay while the owner came out immediately.
Every situation is different for an officer in that position and has to make a split-second decision on what o do; it takes the right decision to neutralize the threat.

Reno stated that a drug task force has already implemented the use of a fire extinguisher in a drug raid in order NOT to shoot a dog and this would be the most dangerous scenario because the dog is protecting its space.
After the class, Trudy and I sat with Reno for 45 minutes, discussing what he covered, and added some concerns.

Reno emphasized the liabilities as well when officers take such a training and they don’t take what they learned; and there happens to be witnesses or someone with a video camera taping the incident where they will be open to liabilities, as has happened to some officers and departments in law suits. He ended with Victoria Stilwell’s video on what not to do when encountering a unfamiliar dog.

 

15 thoughts on “Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, NY, Training for Handling Dogs Non-Lethally

  1. My personal thanks to Sheriff O’Flynn that has taken his integrity of leading a County Department that has been recognized in many achievements in New York State and across the country, and wanted to see a way of bringing a training of integrity for the safety of officers, canines, and the community.
    This is the only County in the country that has implemented a county-wide training for their officers where by Fort Worth Texas reached out through Cindy Boling before they implemented their training in Fort Worth,Texas touching base with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department because they saw Monroe County were the only ones working on such a training.
    Commander Phelps, who has been instrumental at the sheriff’s leadership and instruction to develop and design along with Reno DiDomenico a training that the sheriff would deem adequate for his department and meet the service to the community.
    Reno DiDomenico, Director Of Animal Control for the Humane Society Of Greater Rochester who as well taken part in the class plan and instructs the class.
    To my devoted supporters from the beginning Melissa Cocola canine trainer and Ada Simms former police officer and now canine trainer, and to all canine professionals in our group including our vet professional Dr. Buck.
    To bring awareness by working with a community canine group which I founded to bring awareness to the community on canine safety and awareness whereby it’s compose of various canine professionals locally and around the country.
    K9 Partners Of Monroe County are community members some with dogs of their own and others just wanted to support our cause and the sheriff’s department. It’s people from other groups, rescues, canine organizations, vet, dog trainers coming together on common ground to make a difference for the ones that can’t speak out for themselves.
    This is a initiative that involves by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Humane Society Of Greater Rochester, and K9 Partners Of Monroe County.

  2. Please teach police officers how to handle aggressive dogs. This is so important for the dog, the community and the police officer. Their is no human that wants to harm a dog, in their minds they try to justify it, but in their hearts in haunts them. Dogs are aggressive because they are scared.

    1. Christine, that is in the happening and it will be taken state wide and across the country. I have international support and President Obama has recognized that BSL is not the answer and has given us the support.

    2. Christine, you are exactly right dogs give warnings when they are scared. They only read body language when approached by people.

  3. Very well done Eddie. You should be very proud of what you & your team have acheived so far & i’m sure,like you,the best is yet to come.
    Kind regards.
    Buzz.

  4. My thanks, especially to Sheriff O’Flynn, who I know to be a decent, kind man, for helping something good to come out of this tragedy, and for Eddie Cintron’s strength, in the face of his loss, to try to make something good come out of this.

    1. Morgan Kanae, if you can reach out to you local law enforcement our sheriff department will assist them and give them the Curriculum for the training. In other words the hard work is done all they have to do is execute it..

  5. well tio Edwin your on the map to becoming the next president of the United States. Maybe you can do a better job than the fools in office right now. You go boy!!!

    1. Tracy, it will come I have set things up where we are getting a media group that wants to promote this who handles PitBull Boss on Animal Planet Shorty Rossi show.

    2. Yes Tracey, that’s what we want for other communities across the state to enable dog encounter training for their officers. Officers that I have spoken to feel the same way that there should be training for officers.

  6. Yes Christine, most dogs bites is because the dog is scared but on the most part they give warnings growling, showing of teeth and that’s the time to use common sense and retreat. A dog just see’s stranger in my space even if it’s police officer.
    What gets me is that meter readers go in houses and you don’t hear of these incidents, our meter readers here get training when they come across a unfamiliar dog.

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